I'm in the market for 2000sqft of 3/4" 5" wide plank hardwood. I have four kids, dog and a very open floor plan. The install is over our basement and we live in Northern IL. I need help choosing the right wood, that will behave expanding and contracting as well as durability. Looking for a dark stain as well. Help me understand what I need to look for and where I can find supplier/installer.

Thanks, joe67usmc

In reviewing some posts on here I will add that I am looking for a contractor to complete this install. This would be glue plus nail on 3/4"x5" Asian Walnut. We live in Huntley IL.

Joe

Asian walnut is very hard/dense, we installed 3400+ in a home, it bent some staples/nails and cleats. The builder had a party of some sort there, millions of high heel dents. So very hard wood, but not hard enough.

Expansion/contraction is easily controlled with the proper tools, as long as you get and keep the RH where it should be movement is minimal.

Distressed flooring will have some knicks /dings in it from the beginning, so less noticeable when you manage to knick /ding it.

Darker floors show everything. Dust, dings, dents, scratches all more noticeable the darker you go. Also more noticeable in woods that have less texture, Oak has allot of texture, if you ding it it may not be as noticeable as the same ding in Cherry, Maple, Walnut.

Install in a basement would either be glued down/floating engineered, or plastic vapor barrier, plywood, nailed/stapled/glued hardwood.

Above grade (Plywood subfloor on 1st floor) Nailed & and wider than 4 should be glued as well.

First thing that comes to mind with any 3/4 solid Asian "far east" type hardwood is they're mostly short length hardwoods or one to four feet. Not sure if you want that look?

Brazilian Walnut is an option, but don't mistake the hardness as a cure for maintenance. Distressed may prove to please you more down the road.

Thank you for the feedback thus far. I agree that distressed is a smart option with wide plank and open floor plan. This is going on the 1st floor, and its over our basement (just clearifying). Sub floor is OSB, I'm stripping off existing floor tile, carpet, baseboard and shoe. I want the installer to see everything to ensure they do this with open eyes up front. Glue and nail is what I'm hearing an reading here. Are there good brands tha offer longer lengths for 5" planks and 3/4"? Please let me know.

Best way to see what you'll be getting is to order a box or two. Then you can also do a scratch test, check the milling etc. Not a bad idea if your going to invest in over 2,000 sf of flooring.

its hard to say on the length, its all averaged

I have seen plenty of stuff that has an average of 4 feet, but that box could contain 3 long boards, and tons of 1-2-3 footers.

If you've almost decided on Asian walnut, I would guess you know the manufacture?

Honestly I don't yet know on the Asain Walnut. I went to HD and did not like what I had seen. Same with a Luna show room, plus they were very over the top ego, played a lot of FUD and such, so I left.

Reading this forum has helped a ton. I am now looking at Muskoka 5" Solid Sawn in Peat or Umber and Homer Hard Maple Sugar. I have the handscraped dark colors on my mind as being best suited for our open floor plan.

I really like the distressed look, maybe it will provide me a more calming effect when it comes to new scratches & dings from the dog or kids.

I did a lot of trim work on the walls and crown, which is all white, baseboards are white as well. This is the 6th year in a new construction house and we went cheap on the flooring so its definetly due.

I appreciate the feedback on how companies can go light on the longer boards, that is a plus when considering manufactures.

What should I know more about with Homer and Muskoka? Does Mirage offer 5" plank? I have read a lot on them as well, looks like they are well regarded too. Luna wanted $7.80sqft installed, board lengths were 1' to 4' and it was 4 1/2" wide. He didn't tell me the mfr so unfortunately I didn't know if that was a good price or not. He did say it was northern US wood and hard walnut.
Can you please provide me with an idea on where I will be realistically so I do not miss an opportumnity here?
Thanks, Joe

Joe:

Look around for guys that do hardwood floors day in and day out. That's where you will not "miss an opportunity" as you mentioned. Most will know all the options, opposed to most other stores that sell the common stuff everyone else sees.

http://www.exquisite-flooring.com is only 30 minutes from you.

Forgive me memory but I believe his name is Jay and has been a regular contributor to our board since 2007. You'll probably get better direction from him on a product in 20 minutes opposed to hours and days talking to others that think they know hardwood flooring.



Possibly, but I'll bet it's manufactured over seas. 4 1/2" width is the clue here.

Hard Walnut?

asain walnut is acacia. there are two types long leaf and short leaf. One is hard, heavy dense wood the other is like balsa wood. Both are typically plantation grown in asia. The tree is on the short shrubby side of trees so there is most of the problem in obtaining long length boards. Hard to pull blood from a turnip scenario. It has a ton of variation and is a pretty nice looking floor. I just dont like all the shorts.

Mills use lesser quality wood for distressed. Just makes sense.

Update:
the information that you all have provided has been fantastic. Thanks!

I went to a shop yesterday and was able to see a few lines of hardwood.
Muskoka and Shamrock.

Reading a bit more also has guided me toward 5" engineered vs 3/4" solid due to my prefrence on 5" width. Now I need to look into manufactures that offer 5/8" wood surface and same species center & bottom layers. Does this make sense?

Muskoka offeres this, apprently this is more than 3/4 solid looking for comparable northern made engineered hardwoods.

If distressed is lower quality wood, seems to make sense, is Hand scrapped in the same boat?

So a few more questions:
Is Engineered Wood flooring going to feel solid like 3/4" solid wood when nailed?
Is Engineered wood flooring more stable than Solid Wood if the additional layers are of the same species and cross grained? (Less expansion contraction in the cold or heat)
Is hand scrapped low quality wood like distressed?
If Muskoka is $$$$$ out of five what is similar and $$$ out of five?

Am I going mad?

Additional thoughts to this and considerations please...

Joe:

There's some emphasis nowadays with balanced specie engineered products that you have discovered. Quite a bit of that Chinese stuff that blasted our shores over the last ten years is not holding together particularly in climates where dry heat (low humidity) is forced in winter and high humidity in summer. Why? Mostly because different species are used in ply construction.

Yes, it makes sense.



I'd rephrase "lower quality wood" to "more character and color."

Hand Scraped like distressed? Depends. So many products with different names.

I could come up with a few names that blow Muskoka out of the water (thicker wear layer, longer lengths) for at or less than that dealer price $$$$$ you were quoted.

Your questions

1. Yes
2. Yes. Definately
3. Already answered
4. See last comment

Ken,

just sent you a PM. Please let me know